Ukraine's first lady congratulates Ukrainian Center in Lithuania on its second anniversary

Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has congratulated the Ukrainian Center in Lithuania on its second anniversary.

Zelenska said this in a video on her Facebook page, Ukrinform reports.

According to her, the Ukrainian Center in Lithuania was created "together with my colleague - the country's first lady, Diana Nausediene, our Embassy in the Republic of Lithuania and Vytautas Magnus University, which became the home to this unique Ukrainian center."

"Then, in the first months of the Russian invasion, Ukrainians, scattered by it around the world, desperately needed places where they could restore their moral strength, feel themselves not as victims, but as an active community of free, effective people who can help themselves, their compatriots and their country," Zelenska said.

The Ukrainian Center in Lithuania became such a place - the first of its kind in Europe.

"If I were to describe the center's work in one word, it would be 'opportunities'," the first lady said.

According to her, the center returns the opportunities that were taken away from Ukrainians by the Russian invasion, and "adds new ones – the opportunity to study, develop, work, feel needed, be among your fellow citizens and feel supported. The opportunity to be not a forced migrant, a victim of war, but a member of the community, a free, confident person who has something to say and do."

Zelenska thanked Nausediene and Lithuania for their cooperation and understanding.

"Undoubtedly, the center is exactly like this because all of Lithuania is sincere, caring, and understanding. Lithuania knows how important it is to overcome Russian aggression so that it no longer threatens anyone," Zelenska said.

The Ukrainian Center is a joint project of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine. Its mission is to represent the interests of the Ukrainian community and contribute to its empowerment. The center organizes educational and employment events for children, youth, and the entire Ukrainian community in Lithuania, as well as hosts international expert events and meetings. It also promotes Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Photos: Olena Zelenska / Telegram